Trendsideas

Not always. Sunlight floods this living space, landing directly on the polished concrete slab which acts as a thermal mass, absorbing the heat, and releasing it back into the interior as temperatures cool

Not a single fish part to be found in this sculptural powder room featuring an elegant herringbone tile floor and concrete texture wall surfaces

If you have a feature like an open staircase, draw attention to it – here, mesh pendants make for a safe assent while accentuating this airy part of the home

This modern architectural home flirts with the ocean setting – providing various outlooks, sheltered al fresco entertaining, and a pool that connects to the sea visually but is almost indoors

This large, working farmhouse kitchen with wood cabinetry is painted appropriately in natural tones and includes a spacious scullery at rear 

Balancing its simple, striking form, this home's raw material textures and natural colour palette avoid visual disruption to its lakeside setting

Relocating the door into this powder room gave privacy from the living areas and allowed a generous size basin to be installed – which doubles as a designer dog bath 

Or another word would be timeless – a clean-lined marble vanity in a new apartment within an ornate 1890s civic building echos the past and celebrates modern design too

Located in Kenepuru Landing, an exciting new suburb just a stone's throw from central Porirua, this compact G.J. Gardner home offers relaxed family living

This suspended shelving unit creates storage between kitchen and scullery while allowing views through to the golf course beyond the windows

Comprised of limestone and resin, the benchtop Victoria + Albert Vessel Sinks in this bathroom echo the freestanding tub to elegant effect

With passive solar heating to the fore, a simple wood burner handles secondary heating needs in this contemporary, hilltop home